Tag: RRR

Basel to Colmar

Having plenty of time on a ride somehow never equates to sleeping late and a leisurely start. An unfamiliar room, the excitement of a new adventure, and all the things you forgot to do on the bike last night crowd into your head and guarantee waking up way earlier than needed. Thankfully the apartment had a coffee machine – and a proper bean-to-cup one at that. So at least I had a decent brew to savour whilst I tinkered with the steed. Eventually though, impatient with faffing I grabbed a shower, kitted out, and rolled out. It was way way earlier than I needed to be on the road, but it was beyond anything likely to be considered rush hour. And I figured I could easily kill time over breakfast and more coffee.

Continue reading “RRR – Day 1”

To Basel

In one sense, this ride could have just been about unfinished business – completing the rest of the Rhein Route which the previous year’s change of plans had led me to miss out. But through the planning and build-up the ride had become something more. Christopher, my buddy I’d visited last year, barely hesitated long enough to check with his wife Danielle before replying to my message with a “count me in“. So here I was, loading a huge bike box into the kombi and starting the trek to meet him in Basel, via Gatwick and a completely unrelated stop at a random garden centre near the long term parking to drop off a telescope with someone who had bought it on eBay. The first challenge of the day began as soon as I exited the bus. I did not have a £1 coin for the trolley, and it was a long walk to the terminal. Watching me battle with the box, a lady at one of the other stops hurried over and pressed a coin into my hand with words along the lines of “couldn’t bear to see you struggling” … and “don’t mention it, pay it forward later” as I thanked her. Honestly, the kindness of strangers is one of most heartwarming, and surprisingly common features of these rides.

Continue reading “RRR – Prologue”